of opium poppies. A Dracula, crucifix-shy, &
other trick-or-treat demons, skip among the veiled.
Goody-two-shoes Pollyannas frighten by playing dead.

In our ghost-town, tar zinnias mirror-bloom in the spreading
oil of gutter puddles. Tomorrow the vampires
& their dates will show up at church for All Saints Day,

renewing their baptismal vows at Our Lady of Grace
or St. Nicholas. The black cowls on the street will be
replaced by mantillas on sedate grandmothers.

Pluck an aster from the altar, get married to winter;
the faithful exit, petal-shrouded. A glamour rises as
the women kick up the dead leaves with their stilettos.

Coco Owen is a poet in Los Angeles. She has published poems in Antioch Review, 1913, CutBank, The Journal and The Feminist Wire, among other venues. She has been a finalist in several recent book contests, including the May Swenson Poetry Award, and has a chapbook forthcoming from Tammy. Owen serves on the board of Les Figues Press in Los Angeles. Read more of her work at: cocoowenphd.com.